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Risottos
are usually quite time-consuming to make because you have
to stand over the cooking pot and stir constantly while regularly
adding small amounts of stock. In some parts of Italy they've
discovered that you don't have to go to such trouble in order
to end up with a delicious creamy risotto. By simply adding
all the ingredients to the pot, then covering with a lid,
the risotto will cook by itself without the need to stir at
all. In this risotto the distinctive aniseed flavor of fennel
mellows as it cooks and its crunchy texture softens, making
it an exquisite partner with shrimp.
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| 3
tablespoons extra
virgin olive oil |
| 1
onion—finely chopped |
| 1
medium-sized fennel bulb—trimmed and chopped |
| 2
cloves garlic—finely
chopped |
| 1
cup arborio rice |
| ½
cup white wine |
| 2
cups fish, chicken or vegetable stock |
| ½
teaspoon sea salt |
| ¼
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper |
| 16
large uncooked shrimp (prawns)—peeled |
| 1
tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley |
| 1/3
cup grated Parmesan cheese |
| 1
tablespoon lemon juice |
HEAT
2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium
heat and cook the onion and fennel for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
ADD the garlic and rice and cook for a minute, stirring to coat
the rice with oil. ADD the wine, stock, salt and pepper, bring
to the boil then cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low.
SIMMER gently for 15 minutes without lifting the lid. REMOVE
the lid, and quickly place the shrimp on top of the rice, then
cover and cook for 5 minutes. STIR the reserved tablespoon of
olive oil, parsley, cheese and lemon juice through the rice.
Variations:
For a shrimp and pea risotto, simply replace the fennel with
1 cup of green peas (fresh or frozen) and use fresh mint instead
of parsley.
Tip:
You can substitute the fresh shrimp for large precooked peeled
shrimp, and add for the last minute of cooking to heat through.
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